(BUSINESS WORLD) SENATE bills seeking to boost protection for media workers must include provisions that would ensure their security of tenure and address the plight of contract-based workers in the industry, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said on Tuesday.
Addressing the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development hearing, TUCP legislative officer Carlos Miguel S. Oñate said: “We want to emphasize the loss of employer-employee relationships of many workers in the [media] industry.”
He cited how cameramen in certain TV stations are hired as independent contractors instead of regular employees, an arrangement used by employers to evade general labor standards.
Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada, who chairs the panel, and Sen. Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo have filed measures seeking to provide enhanced protection, security and benefits for media workers.
“We need to give them full-time pay, health benefits, security of tenure so we can call on them to do excellent jobs,” said Mr. Tulfo, who also noted that media workers are not paid enough for the dangers they face in their occupation. — John Victor D. Ordoñez